AEW: Dynamite preview and predictions for August 18, 2021

AEW: Dynamite will make its promotional debut in Houston on Wednesday with an absolutely stacked match card.

The card will include the fifth and final “Labour of Jericho”, as he finally gets his rematch with MJF.  Hometown boy Sammy Guevara will be featured in singles action and has a major announcement planned as well.

For the first time in over 20 years, Sting will wrestle on TNT and the AEW World Tag Team Titles will be on the line when Jurassic Express battles The Young Bucks.

We may also get answers to questions that have been raised by last week’s episodes of both Dynamite and Rampage. Are we close to seeing Paul Wight’s in-ring debut in AEW? What is the relationship between Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker? Does Orange Cassidy have his eye on the new Impact World Champion, Christian Cage?

What’s next for Dante Martin and Red Velvet, as they look to continue to build on their momentum after showing out in high-profile matches last week?

Hopefully, we will get answers to these questions and more on Dynamite this week.

What will the outcome of the matches on AEW Dynamite be this week?

Jurassic Express vs Young Bucks for the AEW Tag Team Titles

In what should be a really fun match, The Young Bucks will put their AEW Tag Titles on the line against the uber-popular team of Jurassic Express.

There are a number of reasons to put the tag titles on the challengers here. The popularity of Jurassic Express continues to grow. Luchasaurus is a very skilled big man that is fun to watch.  Jungle Boy has shown the ability to take the best AEW has to offer to the limit in his matches with the likes of Darby Allin and Kenny Omega.

The team’s entrance music gets the entire arena rocking and pumped up for their matches, which helps keep the crowd invested in their matches.

The Young Bucks are one of the best teams in the world and don’t need the tag titles to prove it.  While Jurassic Express, and in particular, Jungle Boy would significantly benefit from winning his first AEW title.

All these things add up to a very real possibility that Jurassic Express could walk out of Houston the AEW World Tag Team Champions. And much in the way that AEW did not hesitate to pull the trigger by making Darby Allin the TNT Champion, they should not hesitate here either.

Jungle Boy is ready to wear gold. This is a great opportunity for the promotion to show its faith in one of its young, budding stars. Winner: Jurassic Express

Shawn Spears vs Sammy Guevara

Sammy Guevara will get the opportunity to compete in his hometown on Wednesday when he battles long-time rival Shawn Spears.

This show feels like the beginning of the end of The Pinnacle’s feud with The Inner Circle. Chris Jericho’s rematch with MJF should end their feud, and this match between Spears and Guevara should do the same for their long-standing rivalry. Most importantly, this feud needs to come to its conclusion with Guevara going over.

Spears is fine for what he is. That said, taking pinfalls and getting over young talent is the role he should most often be used in when feuding with those considered to be the future of the promotion.

As for Guevara’s announcement, my guess is that he is going to call out Miro for a shot at the TNT Title at the upcoming All Out pay-per-view.

Since beating Darby Allin for the TNT strap, Miro has had one mini-feud with Lance Archer, but mostly just defended the title versus opponents that posed very little threat to “The Redeemer”.

While competitors like Dante Martin, Evil Uno, Brian Pillman, Jr, Lee Johnson, and Fuego Del Sol are all extremely talented and fun to watch, none of them was a legitimate candidate to win the TNT Title.

Guevara will be. It is time for him to step into the spotlight and get a shot at a singles title.  And Miro seems like the obvious target. Winner: Sammy Guevara

Sting & Darby Allin vs 2.0

For the first time in over 20 years, Sting will be wrestling live on TNT. “The Icon” will team up with Darby Allin to take on AEW newcomers 2.0 in a Texas Tornado tag team match.

AEW has been very careful and calculated in its use of Sting up to this point. Since debuting in December of 2020, Sting has participated in one cinematic match and one live match, both at pay-per-views.

Both of those first two matches were applauded by the majority of wrestling fans and Sting showed that he still had plenty in the tank, even at an advanced age. However, this match seems like a bit of a waste of Sting.

Nothing against 2.0. They are veterans of the sport and have been impressive in their short time in AEW. But at 62 years of age, each and every match of Sting’s is one step closer to being his last. So using one of these precious commodities against a team with which there is very little heat or storyline seems a bit silly.

That being said, the announcement of Sting wrestling on Dynamite will be an absolute treat for those fans in attendance and is sure to pop a rating for the show as well.

Oh yeah, and Sting and Darby will win. Winners: Sting and Darby Allin

Brian Cage vs Ricky Starks

In a rematch from Fyter Fest in which Ricky Starks took the FTW Title from Brian Cage, “The Machine” will look to get his revenge in a non-title match.

Cage will go into this match severely outnumbered, but he will have the advantage this time of knowing that he is outnumbered instead of learning it towards the end of the match.

Also, the fact that the FTW Title is not on the line should be enough to let Cage get the pinfall over Starks and even up the score, most likely setting up round three at All Out in September. Winner: Brian Cage

Britt Baker in Action

Fresh off a title defense in a very good match with Red Velvet in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Britt Baker will be in action again on Wednesday. This will most likely be a squash match with the real action happening shortly after.

Kris Statlander and Red Velvet will most likely have some unfinished business with the duo of Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter and will confront the two after the match.

This should lead to one of two things: Either Statlander and Velvet challenging Baker and Hayter to a tag match on an upcoming show, or Statlander challenging Baker to an AEW Women’s Title match only for Baker to tell “The Galaxy’s Greatest Alien” that if she wants a shot at the title then Statlander will have to beat Hayter first.

Either way, it looks like we are setting up for Statlander vs Baker at All Out.  Winner: Britt Baker

Chris Jericho vs MJF: The fifth labour of Jericho

In a match that has been a long time coming, Chris Jericho will finally get his rematch against MJF in what should be the main event of this week’s Dynamite.

The odds will be stacked against Jericho in this match as he will not be allowed to use his Judas Effect finisher during the match.

And in true heel fashion, MJF even made this rematch less fun for the fans, as Jericho’s entrance music, entitled “Judas”, will not be played as Jericho comes to the ring.

While it would be great for Jericho to shut MJF up here by finding a way to beat him, that outcome isn’t what is best for the promotion as a whole. MJF is a very important part of the present of this company, and to keep him on track to be one of the major players in the promotion’s future, he needs to beat Jericho.

This match should be a true passing of the torch. AEW has built an extremely talented roster over the past couple of years and the time to keep Jericho in the forefront may be coming to an end.

Jericho was vital in AEW becoming a reality.  His name alone brought instant credibility to the brand and brought eyes to the product that maybe wouldn’t have looked their way without him. But with each passing match, it has become obvious that Jericho is slowing down his younger counterparts and throwing off timing in matches.

And like the MMA fighter that hangs on too long and takes unnecessary knockouts from the new breed that is just faster and stronger, it is painful to watch someone who was once great hang on too long and continue to compete as a shell of what they used to be.

Hopefully, Jericho will have this one last main event match with MJF, then go rock the countryside with his band, Fozzy.  He could then come back to AEW in more of a Sting-type role: Just wrestling on special occasions, and using his talents in the broadcast booth and as the mouthpiece for other talents that are not as adept on the microphone as Jericho is.

Chris Jericho still has so much more to offer professional wrestling fans. The majority of that just no longer takes place in the ring.  Winner: MJF